1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure generally relates to wireless location-based services, and more particularly to hybrid tracking devices using a personal area network to tracking assets and communicate with an asset tracking server.
2. Background of the Invention
Location-based services and tracking of various goods or other assets have become useful and necessary in our modern mobile and information focused society. Particularly, it has become useful to track the locations of assets as they are moved through the stream of commerce. For example, in U.S. Publ. 2009/0189788 (titled “System and method for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement” to Faus and published Jul. 30, 2009, which is incorporated by reference herein) describes a system for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement uses one or more sensors to provide information about trailer loading activity and trailer movement. These tracking devices may be used as part of a location-based service to track and/or monitor assets. Currently, however, tracking devices include a wide area network (WAN) transceiver to communicate with a remote asset tracking server and also include a location sensor (such as a GPS receiver). Such WAN transceiver and location sensors use significant amounts of power when determining and reporting a location of the device and sensor data.
The present disclosure provides aspects of improved apparatus and methods of location-based services to track and/or monitor various assets or subjects of interest.